(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an emergency locking retractor with a non-locking mechanism, which is suitable for use in a seat belt system for a vehicle or the like. More specifically, this invention is concerned with an emergency locking retractor equipped with a non-locking mechanism which prevents actuation of the locking function under acceleration caused by the opening or closure of an associated vehicle door, so that it is possible to arrange, within an associated vehicle door, a retractor of such a type as locking an associated webbing to avoid any further release thereof upon detection of acceleration of at least a predetermined value.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In general, an emergency locking retractor of the acceleration sensing type has a weight which is tilted responsive to acceleration of a vehicle and a locking mechanism is actuated by the tilting of the weight so as to prevent rotation of an associated webbing take-up spindle in the webbing-releasing direction. This emergency locking retractor is usually disposed in the main body of a vehicle, for example, in a center pillar or the like so as to sense only acceleration of the vehicle.
There is however a recent designing demand for the arrangement of a retractor within a door.
If an emergency locking retractor of the acceleration sensing type, like the aforementioned emergency locking retractor, is arranged within a door, the retractor is locked as a result of sensing of acceleration upon each opening or closure of the door. This has led to a problem that the door cannot be opened because the release of the webbing has been rendered impossible even if one tries to open the door.